Help with Sweet Peas please

[Pauline200]

I have sown Sweet Pea seeds and they have germinated lovely. My problem is they have grown very leggy. Should I nip the tops off so that they bush out or leave them to grow. If I leave them to grow what do I tie them to the stake with. The plastic coated wire I've used is not really ideal. Also when do I plant them in the ground. As you can guess I have not had very much success in the past, even though everybody tells me how easy it is.

[Kisal]

I had a difficult time growing sweet peas. I read in one of my garden encyclopedias that they don't like to be transplanted, so I thought that might be the reason I had so much trouble with them. I followed the directions in the book, which as I recall, went as follows.

I sprouted the seeds between layers of damp paper towels, then dug a nice trench for them at the base of my fence. I inoculated the soil in the trench with a package of rhizobacteria, which helps peas and beans get started. (I bought it at a local garden store.)

Then, I carefully placed the sprouted seeds, which only had the root starting to emerge, in position in the trench and gently covered them with soil. I strung string up the fence for the vines to climb on. I had a wonderful display of the flowers that summer! They were absolutely gorgeous.

It may be very possible to start the seeds indoors and then set out the starts, but it never worked for me ... not even once. And I don't even try to grow them without using the soil innoculant now.

[Pauline200]

Thank you for the advice but as I have already germinated mine for this year, I will try your way next year. Many thanks.